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Abstract
Ellen Candles, drug prevention coordinator for a mid-size school district in Wisconsin, sits behind a desk watching the veins on a young woman's neck become more and more pronounced even as her voice maintains a calm, determined tone. The woman's son is in the fourth grade, and she is describing the drug education program he is being taught:
“… school is not a place for psychotherapy. I do not pay taxes for my son to feel that he has to tell family secrets in order to pass this class. My son has strong values, and I don't want them subverted by a curriculum that turns children against their parents and pries into their personal lives.”
Ms. Candles nods as the woman continues with claims that the curriculum espouses New Age philosophy, promotes drug use, reflects values clarification, and violates the Hatch Act. The woman concludes by demanding not only that her son be removed from the drug education class, but also that the curriculum be removed from the district's program.
The following week, the woman, along with five other parents, will take her complaints to the School Board. These parents will be adamant, persistent, and organized.